


The Scarecrow and His Raven II

by MisatosPenPen



Series: The Scarecrow and His Raven [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-26
Updated: 2014-06-26
Packaged: 2018-02-06 08:33:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1851475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MisatosPenPen/pseuds/MisatosPenPen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kakashi swore to bring Sasuke home after Itachi's death and he'll sacrifice everything so Sasuke can find peace. Kakashi/Itachi back-flashes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fallen Raven

Kakashi thought up a story on his way back to find his team. He needn’t have bothered. He caught the scent of smoke on the air and he saw a column of smoke when he looked behind him.  
He took a detour into the woods and mimed picking up the bottle in his hand when he was close to the younger shinobi.   
  
“Sakura, here.” He threw it to her.  
  
“Thank you, sensei. I knew I dropped it around here.”  
  
“We’re delaying our mission.”  
  
“What?” Naruto said.  
  
“Look to the west.” They all did so, seeing the massive column of smoke. “We’re going to check it out.”  
  
They rushed to the scene of Sasuke and Itachi’s battle. They made for the middle of the rubble where a single wall remained upright, though askew. Kakashi’s blood ran cold. Itachi lay there with his empty eye sockets directed toward the weeping sky. The rain tried to wash the blood and ash from his face, but it was useless. His hair fanned around his head in a limp way that didn’t seem possible if he were alive. It seemed to Kakashi that Death remained here after he took Itachi and now reached for Kakashi’s heart and squeezed, tempting him to follow his lover. Sakura looked at Kakashi with more sympathy than Kakashi would be able to tolerate if he’d looked up to see it.  
  
They all saw the Uchiha fan on the wall. The destruction and Itachi’s corpse suggested the same thing to all of them, even Sai: Sasuke had completed his revenge.  
  
Kakashi got a hold of himself enough to make his hand signs, crouch, and summon his hounds. “Sasuke was here recently; can you track him in this rain?”  
  
“I have his scent,” Pakkun said. “But it permeates this entire area. We’ll have to fan out and see if there’s a trail we can follow.”  
  
“Two of you with each of us. Howl if you find his trail.” He signaled and they all dispersed. A few yards away, he made a clone to go off with his hounds and he returned to Itachi’s side. Out of sight and earshot, Kakashi allowed himself to breakdown next to the body of his lover.  
  
He wondered if Sasuke had really left his brother’s body to rot on this piece of broken concrete. But by the bloody form next to Itachi, he guessed Sasuke had been badly injured in the fight as well. Someone had come for Sasuke, but left Itachi’s body.   
  
“I’ll take you home, my raven,” Kakashi promised. He looked up to let the ran wash his tears and cool his skin before running after his clone.   
  
They came back together quickly. “There’s no trail leading away from here and the one leading here is too faint to backtrack and it’s rapidly deteriorating.”  
  
Kakashi was staring at what one of the dogs had brought with him: Itachi’s Akatsuki cloak. Kakashi picked it up and felt it for anything in the pockets. He found two glass vials filled with water. Itachi had told him a lot of things over the months they were together, he figured Itachi might have had these to threaten Sasuke with and/or for Sasuke to use for harvesting Itachi’s eyes. Strangely, as long as the eyes were not completely blind, they could be transplanted with no deterioration in the recipient’s vision or powers. His eyes were gone, but the vials were still here. Someone else must have harvested Itachi’s eyes for Sasuke.  
  
Kakashi wrapped the body in the black and red cloak and struggled with the stiff body to carry it. “We’re going back to the village to report in.”  
  
“Why bring the traitor’s body?” Sai asked.  
  
Sakura hadn’t wanted to belt the boy more since Orochimaru’s lair.   
  
“Is it any of your concern?” Kakashi asked as calmly as he could. He too wanted to strike Sasuke’s replacement.   
  
\-----  
  
Kakashi carried the body to the gates. Izumo got a stretcher for him to lay the now pliable body. He let Izumo and Kotetsu carry the stretcher to the Hokage tower, but he remained right beside it. The Hokage admitted them immediately.  
  
She looked down at the body lain in front of her desk. “Uchiha Itachi,” she mused with a hint of disgust in her voice.  
  
Kakashi had to restrain himself. Itachi was just an S-class criminal, but this was his lover.   
  
“Why are his eyes missing?”  
  
Kakashi explained briefly that Sasuke would need to transplant his brother’s eyes or go blind.  
  
“And Sasuke?”  
  
“The entire area was rubble. There was a body shaped puddle of blood next to Itachi. Sasuke must have been wounded and collapsed and someone recovered him. We have intelligence that he was forming his own team; it’s sensible that they recovered him. My hounds could not find a trail in the rain. I believe he’s alive.”  
  
“If he’s killed Orochimaru and his brother, won’t Sasuke come home now?” Naruto asked.  
  
“I don’t know. He doesn’t have anywhere else to go.”  
  
“We’ll search for him,” Tsunade said. “For now, Itachi’s body may tell us something about Akatsuki. We’ll examine it in detail.” Those words cut through Kakashi, but he hid it well. The thought of what they would do to Itachi’s body . . .  
  
“You all can rest. I’ll keep you in the village for now; you have the best change of convincing Sasuke to come back to the village.”  
  
Naruto and Sai began to leave, but Kakashi and Sakura didn’t move.  
  
“Kakashi-sensai?” Naruto asked.  
  
“Go on, I have something else to discuss with the Hokage.”  
  
“So do I,” Sakura said.  
  
Tsunade nodded and the boys left.  
  
“What about his remains afterward?” Kakashi asked when the door shut.  
  
“It will be destroyed.”  
  
“I would like to be the one to do it. I’ll cremate him myself.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“I knew him. I’m probably the only person in village who can remember anything good about him. Let me do it, alone.”  
  
“Not alone.”  
  
“Then I can go to make sure it’s done properly,” Sakura said.   
  
“Alright. The body will be released to you once the examination is over.”  
  
“How long will the examination take?”  
  
Shizune spoke for the first time. “Probably only a few hours.”  
  
“I’ll take the body to the hospital myself then and wait. I can cremate him tonight.”  
  
“Alright,” Tsunade said. “I would rather have him disposed of as soon as possible.”  
  
“Thank you, Hokage-sama.”  
  
“I’d like to stay with you,” Sakura said to Kakashi. He nodded, as did Tsunade. Izumo and Kotetsu carried the stretcher again, Kakashi walking beside him, Sakura behind him.   
  
Kakashi and Sakura waited outside as Itachi’s body was dissected and examined. It was killing Kakashi. The laid back shinobi fidgeted, eventually pulling out a kunai and started twirling it and flipping it around, angry at what was being done to his lover’s body. He wasn’t worried that they would find evidence that he had been harbored in the village for a time, just agonizing over the way his body must be being treated behind this door. Eventually he could hardly take it anymore and stabbed the kunai into the wall in frustration.  
  
Sakura wanted to say something to him, but there was nothing to say, at least not here where someone might overhear.   
  
Finally, it was over. His clothing was gone, his Akatsuki cloak and other clothes taken for a more thorough examination to find their origin, replaced by a sterile white hospital gown. Sakura helped carry the body out of the village to a clearing in the forest.  
  
Sakura stood back, present more so no one would disturb her sensei. Kakashi knelt beside his lover’s body lying on the makeshift pyre. He’d placed a cloth over his eyeless sockets to try and make him look more like he did in life. He was overcome.   
  
He turned his head slightly as his tears abated. He saw an unhealing wound on Itachi’s chest above the white hospital gown he had been wrapped in. Kakashi slowly pushed the gown aside and saw the cuts in Itachi’s flesh where they opened up his body and the pitiful stitches that barely held the skin together. Anger replaced Kakashi’s grief. He tried to tell himself that this wasn’t Itachi anymore, just an empty shell, but he couldn’t stand the way his body had been treated, the body he knew so well and had stroked and caressed and kissed.  
  
“I should have cremated you out there and not let this happen to you. I’m sorry, Itachi, that I couldn’t do more to help you. You didn’t deserve this! Cold payment for all you did for them.”  
  
Sakura turned at these words. “What do you mean by that?”  
  
“Itachi was—” Kakashi stopped himself.   
  
“Itachi was innocent?”  
  
“No. Yes. He did kill them, but he had the well being of the village in mind. He was the spy in Akatsuki. He sacrificed everything for the village. And this is how he’s repaid.”  
  
Sakura could say nothing to this.  
  
“I swear to you Itachi, I will bring your brother home safely. I swear it.”  
  
Kakashi stroked the long black hair once more. He synched the tie around the ponytail tighter and cut it off with a kuni. He stood back and used the Uchiha’s favorite fire technique, the Grand Fireball Jutsu. He sustained the ball of flame around Itachi’s body, burning it to ashes. Sakura watched the flames consume the body.   
  
The two of them stared at the mound of ash and scorched earth after the fire died. The gentle wind blew the ash away in small puffs of dust.   
  
Is this what we’re all reduced to in the end? Dust? Kakashi remembered his father’s death, his cremation. He wouldn’t let himself cry back then, not wanting to show emotion, especially not for someone as disgraceful as his father. His opinion of his father had changed, mostly due to Obito’s words the day he died, but Kakashi had always loved his father despite everything.   
  
Then something occurred to him: he had told Itachi the full story of his father’s disgrace and suicide and Obito’s words. Itachi had agreed with Obito.   
  
“In a sense, he did end up dying for his comrades,” Itachi had said. “I can’t imagine a better end. You’re father received cold payment for saving lives. Why is the prevention of death less heralded than saving someone in immediate danger? Is it better to sacrifice people blithely or to do something ‘dishonorable’ to do what you believe is best and save the lives you know you can? I would have taken the same path as your father.”  
  
He realized Itachi had done the same thing: Itachi had sacrificed his own honor and family to save the village, save the lives he knew he could. And they both took their own lives. In a sense.   
  
“Sakura. We’re going after Sasuke.” He walked off, leaving Sakura stunned for a moment before following him back to the village.


	2. Sasuke

Itachi’s body and clothing told them nothing except that he was actually killed by illness, not his brother’s hand. Kakashi already knew, or at least, suspected that. There was nothing to help them track Sasuke.   
  
Kakashi wanted urgently to find Sasuke. He demanded they be allowed to go look for him. The Hokage agreed; the longer Sasuke stayed away after his brother’s death, the less likely he would be to come home at all. Kakashi was dispatched with Naruto, Sakura, Sai, Yamato, Shino, Kiba, and Hinata. They would find Sasuke.  
  
\-----  
  
Sasuke loitered for quite some time after Madara told him the truth about his brother. Madara wanted him to join Akatsuki, but Sasuke was hesitating to come to a decision. The decision he had made was to destroy Konoha. He spent the next few days meditating thinking of his brother and of how to attack Konoha. He knew Madara was offering him great power with which to destroy the village, but he was reluctant to become entangled with Madara and his plans. He’d been manipulated for far too long to want to become someone else’s pawn.  
  
One evening he announced, “We’re leaving.”  
  
“Leaving?” Madara asked.  
  
“My team and I have other things to do before we set ourselves on new goals. We’re leaving. I’ll let you know what I decide.”  
  
“I can’t just let you leave.”  
  
“You have my brother’s eyes, don’t you? That is reason enough to return and reason enough not to betray you or your location. We will return.”  
  
“Very well.”  
  
Once Karin judged them to be far enough away, she asked, “What other things, Sasuke?”  
  
“Didn’t you have other business to attend to?” Sasuke asked, knowing full well she had been lying.  
  
“It . . . it . . . was time sensitive. Running around with you lot made me too late.”  
  
“My only goal was Samehada,” Suigetsu said.  
  
“I have no goals,” Juugo said.  
  
“So Sasuke,” Suigetsu prodded, “what is your goal now?”  
  
“I need time to think away from that manipulative bastard. We’re heading to another of the Uchiha hideouts just inside the Fire Country.”  
  
\-----  
  
Itachi had told Kakashi a lot of things over the years including the location of many of the Uchiha hideouts. Kakashi led his large team near them, hoping he, his hounds, or Kiba and Akamaru would pick up Sasuke’s scent. It took nearly a week, but Kiba finally caught the scent.  
  
“Found him!” Kiba shouted.   
  
“Where?” Kakashi demanded.  
  
“To the southwest. There are other scents as well.”  
  
“Good job, Kiba.”  
  
\-----  
  
The four of them lounged in a disused room. There was furniture which had been covered and therefore dust free. Sasuke was sitting back in an imperious looking sofa while Juugo dozed nearby and Suigetsu polished his beloved sword. Karin was watching Sasuke, still trying to come up with plans to get rid of the others and seduce him.  
  
But Sasuke had also tasked her with looking out for intruders. It was her skill as a sensor that inspired him to recruit her along with her healing ability. She was passively searching for any large chakra, but every half hour or so she put all her energy into it, to scan as far as she could. She did so now.  
  
“Sasuke! There’s a large number of shinobi approaching! About sixteen individuals. Not all of them are human.”  
  
“Akatsuki?”  
  
“No. I don’t recognize any of the Akatsuki among them. Wait. Half of them have disappeared.”  
  
“Summons?” Suigetsu asked.  
  
“Eight disappeared?” Sasuke asked.  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Konoha.” It had to be Kakashi. Sasuke knew Kakashi had eight ninja hounds and he was the only other person who could possibly know about this place. With his Sharingan he should be able to read everything in the Uchiha Shrine if he found the rooms beneath.  
  
“You three,” Juugo had woken up at Karin’s cry, “go meet them just inside. Tell them I will speak with Kakashi alone. Karin, bring him to me then rejoin the others. Defend yourselves if you have to, but try not to kill them, not yet. Be cautious with the blond. He’ll be the one who leaps out front and starts screaming.” Sasuke unknowingly described Naruto the same way his brother had. “Don’t test him, he had no impulse control.”  
  
“Should I make Kakashi leave his weapons?”  
  
“His most dangerous weapon is not a kunai. No. Just bring him to me alone.”  
  
They did as instructed.  
  
\-----  
  
Kakashi led the group of eight shinobi and Akamaru into the hideout. It looked like a dilapidated concrete building from outside, but inside it looked much better cared for and constructed. They stopped when they sensed someone up ahead. They cautiously entered the main room and there were three shinobi, one sitting with his hand on the hilt of an enormous sword, a girl with hot pink hair and glasses, and a large man with flame like hair. No Sasuke.  
  
“You’re from Konoha, right?” the woman asked.  
  
Kakashi stepped forward to answer, but Naruto lunged forward.  
  
“Where’s Sasuke?!”  
  
“Naruto!” Kakashi put out a hand to restrain him.   
  
“You’re the one Sasuke-kun told us about.”  
  
“We are from Konoha,” Kakashi said.  
  
“Which one of you is Kakashi?”  
  
“I am.”  
  
“Sasuke-kun wants to speak to you, alone.”  
  
All the others were surprised that Sasuke was expecting them. They could see them anticipating the intruders, but knowing who they were . . .   
  
Kakashi nodded and followed Karin out of the room.  
  
\-----  
  
Sasuke still sat in the high backed sofa with his sword beside him, when Karin led Kakashi into the room. Karin left them.   
  
Before Kakashi could speak, Sasuke was gone and reappeared on top of a ledge to Kakashi’s left, above him with his sword pointed down at him.  
  
“I shouldn’t need to ask,” Sasuke said, “but what is your intention here?”  
  
“To bring you back home to Konoha.”  
  
“Humph. I understand Naruto and Sakura. But what about you, Kakashi? What am I to you? A student, a failure you feel you need to rectify? A criminal? A traitor? A lost soul you feel compelled to save? Or is it just for Naruto’s sake? Or Sakura’s? Why do you seek me out, why do you care about me?”  
  
He knew truth would serve him best; Sasuke could likely smell a lie or half-truth and the truth was surprising enough to make him believe it was the truth. “Because you’re Itachi’s little brother.”  
  
“Itachi? Why would that matter?” He asked in a soft voice.  
  
“I knew your brother.”  
  
“No one knew my brother,” Sasuke countered hoarsely.  
  
“What’s happened? You don’t hate him anymore, do you?”  
  
“Madara told me the truth.”  
  
“Which truth?”  
  
“Itachi killed our clan on orders from the elders and the Hokage!”  
  
“That’s true.”  
  
Sasuke’s face went slack with shock. “You knew?”  
  
“Not back then, not when I was teaching you, no.”  
  
“How do you know?”  
  
“Itachi told me.”  
  
“When?”  
  
“A few months ago. I found him half dead and took care of him. He told me everything.”  
  
“Why would you take him in and not turn him over to your Hokage?”  
  
Kakashi hesitated. “Your brother and I were friends in ANBU. It was not my mission to kill him. I just neglected to tell anyone about him.”  
  
Sasuke was definitely shaken and he lowered his sword. “I’m not returning to Konoha.” He leapt down into the center of the room. “How can you expect me to return to and serve a village that conspired to destroy my clan?”  
  
“What will you do?”  
  
“I—” Looking at Kakashi brought some sanity to his revenge clouded mind. Could he destroy a man who risked everything to help his brother? It started to sink in that not everyone in Konoha despised his clan or were in anyway involved in the massacre. Could he indiscriminately slaughter them? He hated Itachi for so long for doing something that was in some ways not as bad. But just the thought of anyone in that village being able to smile or laugh or live happily while his brother was forced to kill his own family and flee ignited intense anger within him. But looking at Kakashi, he could not destroy Konoha. But Kakashi was waiting for an answer.  
  
“I will kill Danzo and those two elders who ordered my thirteen year old brother to slaughter his entire family.”  
  
“Sasuke, take some time. Your mind must be whirling after what Madara told you. Don’t become his tool; all he’s ever wanted was to destroy what Senju created. The animosity between the two clans must end. At least give yourself some time to cool off. If you still want to kill them after that, I’ll do what I can for you.”  
  
Kakashi was right, his mind was whirling; it hadn’t stopped since he met Itachi’s clone in that cavern. But then he realized something.  
  
“Wait, you know who Madara is?”  
  
“Itachi told me everything. He’s your ancestor, one of the founders of Konoha. Itachi told me he was still alive and the leader of Akatsuki.”  
  
Itachi feared Sasuke would fall into Madara’s hands and planted Amaterasu into his eyes to kill him. Maybe it wasn’t just because he knew the truth. Then he remembered, Madara said Itachi didn’t know Madara knew the truth about him. That wasn’t why Itachi feared Madara. He feared Sasuke becoming his pawn. Sasuke realized he had a lucky escape coming out here. But Madara had Itachi’s eyes.   
  
“I can’t come home. I have business with Madara then I will kill the elders and Danzo. Once I do that I will not be welcome in Konoha.”  
  
“Danzo is an evil son of a bitch. I’ll find a way to lure him out of the village and you can slaughter him. He is very powerful, or so I understand. I will help you.”  
  
“My plan was to destroy the entire village. Give me Danzo and I vow not to attack the village itself.”  
  
“Killing him is the greatest charity you can give to the village. I’ll find a way to deliver him to you.”  
  
“I don’t want to see the others. Karin!” Sasuke called. Karin appeared quickly. “We’re leaving. The blond pulled at his leash I expect.”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“His own may not be enough to restrain him. I’ll leave first; the three of you follow and keep him and the girl with the pink hair away. I expect you Kakashi to keep them back yourself.”  
  
“We may have to sedate Naruto.”  
  
“Assure him he’ll see me shortly. Use that as bait for him to help you get me Danzo.” Sasuke waved Kakashi away. Once Kakashi and Karin were gone, Sasuke gathered their things and departed.  
  
\-----  
  
When Kakashi returned, Naruto did buck on the leash.   
  
“Where’s Sasuke?!”  
  
“He’s left.”  
  
Juugo and Suigetsu looked to Karin who nodded.  
  
Naruto started to run forward. Sasuke’s new team took stances ready to stop Naruto. Kakashi grabbed him.   
  
“Sasuke’s not here, Naruto. Calm down. At least he listened to what I had to say. We’re going back to Konoha now.”  
  
“But Kakashi-sensei—”  
  
“Enough, Naruto! Let’s go. I’ll explain once we’re away from here.”  
  
Kakashi pulled Naruto out and the others followed, Sakura the last, staring daggers at the three shinobi blocking the way to Sasuke, especially at Karin. But she finally joined the others.  
  
Naruto relaxed in Kakashi’s grip and he let him go. But Naruto immediately looked over at Kiba. Kiba hesitated, but then nodded. Naruto ran off and Kiba and Akamaru followed.   
  
“Damn it!” Kakashi grumbled. “We have to stop them. Sasuke doesn’t have much compunction about killing.”  
  
Yamato nodded sagely, having seen that himself. They all followed.   
  
\-----  
  
Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo were on their way after Sasuke, following Karin. Karin sensed Naruto, Kiba, and Akamaru.   
  
“That blond, Naruto, the dog, and another of their group are heading for Sasuke. They have a better angle toward him than we do, they’ll get there first.”  
  
\-----  
  
Sasuke could sense the trio as well when they got close enough. Sasuke dropped everything, unsheathed his sword and charged it with Chidori.   
  
The charged chakra made Akamaru stop a few yards away with Kiba on his back. Kiba put out a hand. “Stop, Naruto!”  
  
“What is it?”  
  
“He’s straight ahead and ready to kill.”  
  
Naruto approached more slowly. “Sasuke.” Sasuke was still poised to kill like a cornered tiger.   
  
Sasuke’s team arrived. “They took a different path,” Karin explained.  
  
Kiba rode in to help defend Naruto against his better judgment. He was regretting helping him.  
  
“You didn’t even let Kakashi speak before rushing out here, did you Naruto?”  
  
“This is the third time I’ve been so close to bringing you back.”  
  
“I’m not going back, not now. Leave now or we will attack.”  
  
Wood sprang out of the ground turning into a cage to stop Naruto. Kakashi landed on top of it. “Go, Sasuke.” Sasuke did so, he and his team disappearing into the trees. Naruto struggled against the wooden bars.   
  
“Will you listen to me now?” Kakashi asked. “Sasuke was easier to talk to.”  
  
The Konoha group gathered and Yamato dismantled the cage.  
  
“Sasuke is still motivated by revenge, but it’s been redirected to Danzo. Danzo was . . . somewhat responsible for the destruction of the Uchiha.”  
  
Yamato, Naruto, and Sakura couldn’t help looking over at Sai who stared back without emotion.  
  
“Danzo was opposed to the Third Hokage and also opposes the Fifth. He wants the title of Hokage, but he is the head of the hawk faction of Konoha and leader of Root, a break off division of ANBU we believe is still in existence as his personal army.”  
  
Sai still didn’t react.  
  
“The village would be better off without him and delivering him into Sasuke’s hands might convince Sasuke to return to Konoha. We have to report to the Fifth.”  
  
Sai was still the focus of several gazes.  
  
“I do still work for him,” Sai admitted. “But I am on your side. I would tell you what you need to know, but I can’t.” Sai opened his mouth to reveal a seal. “I might be able to help lure him out for you, but it will be difficult. Or I can lead, but not tell, Sasuke to his sanctuary, where he gives us orders.”  
  
“That’s something,” Kakashi said. “We’ll discuss it with the Hokage. Right now, let’s just get back to the village.”


	3. Itachi's Eyes

Kakashi was trying to sleep. The trouble with bring Sasuke home was keeping him up. He was sure Naruto and Sakura would be awake too. He just started up at the ceiling.   
  
“You can at least look comfortable if you kept your eyes closed.”  
  
Kakashi bolted upright and looked toward the source of the voice, his window. A cat dressed in some clothes sat there.   
  
“That’s just a little tip from the master of sleeping.”  
  
“Who are you?”  
  
“You must be Kakashi. I know that smell. Itachi would come home with that scent all over him. But you also smell of dog.”  
  
“I’ll summon my hounds if you don’t tell me who you are.”  
  
“You must be his teacher, just as rude. How someone so rude could get Itachi as a bed warmer is beyond me.”  
  
“Don’t you dare talk about Itachi that way!”  
  
“Cool it. I was just testing you. If you had reacted any different I would have clawed the hell out of you. Itachi-kun was a sweet kid, we all liked him.”  
  
“You’re an Uchiha summon?”  
  
“Good to see you figured that out. Sasuke wants to speak with you. At least he acknowledges that we cats are better messengers than those snakes of his.”  
  
Kakashi dressed and followed the cat over the rooftops and out of the village.  
  
Sasuke was alone, sitting at the base of a tree. The cat ran right to him and brushed up against him and purred. Sasuke scratched the cat’s neck, gave him a few affectionate pets, then pulled out a small fish. The cat took it and ran over to another tree to eat its prize.   
  
“I wasn’t expecting you to summon me,” Kakashi said.  
  
Sasuke looked up at him. “You’ll have a little more time to figure out how to lure out Danzo. I have Itachi’s eyes now. I’ve decided to kill Madara first and a few of Akatsuki. My brother didn’t trust Madara and neither do I. Have you come up with a plan to bring Danzo to me?”  
  
“Not yet. If that was all you wanted, you could have merely sent the summon.”  
  
“I wanted to see you. But I wasn’t entirely sure why.” Sasuke stood up, adjusting the sword on his back. He looked over at the cat licking his paws. “You can go.”  
  
“Have some catnip ready next time.” The cat disappeared.  
  
Sasuke didn’t look at Kakashi.  
  
“Where’s your team?”  
  
“I left them deeper in forest with orders not to disturb me.”  
  
“Is something wrong?”  
  
“I didn’t understand why I wanted to see you.”  
  
“Do you now?”  
  
“Yeah.” Sasuke still didn’t look at him.  
  
“What is it?” Kakashi was getting nervous. He may have only known the boy for a year, if that, but this behavior was foreign to him.  
  
Sasuke finally did look. He came over to his sensei, stopping an arm’s length from him. Sasuke put out a hand to pull down Kakashi’s mask. As his fingertips were about to touch the edge of the mask, Kakashi grabbed his wrist.  
  
“What are you doing?”  
  
“I want to see your face.”  
  
“Is that all?” There was a part of him that warned him not to do it, but what was the harm? He pulled down his mask.   
  
With a speed that rivaled his brother’s, Sasuke’s lips were pressed to Kakashi’s. Kakashi was too shocked to push him away immediately, but he did a second later. But Sasuke didn’t let himself be pushed too far.  
  
“What the fuck?”  
  
“I want you.”  
  
Kakashi couldn’t help huffing out a shocked laugh. “What made you think I’d reciprocate?”  
  
“You were fucking my brother.”  
  
That made Kakashi angry. “You’re not your brother. And I wasn’t just fucking him. I was in love with your brother.” Something occurred to him. “Wait a minute; I never told you we were lovers. I said we were friends. How did you know?”  
  
“I . . . I remember.” Sasuke’s gaze drifted away.  
  
“Remember? We were careful; we were sure no one knew.”  
  
“I didn’t. I remember being . . . with you.”  
  
“What?” Sasuke looked at him again. He looked into Sasuke’s eyes. He stared that those coal black eyes and saw the imperfections in the irises only he would know. They were Itachi’s.   
  
“Itachi’s eyes. His memories must be imprinted on the chakra left in his eyes or in the eyes themselves.”  
  
“Maybe. But I do want you.”  
  
“No, Sasuke.”  
  
“Don’t you see him? These are his eyes. I know you loved to look at them. Don’t you want to feel like that again?”  
  
“You are not your brother! You don’t really want this.” Kakashi pulled his mask back into place, turned away, and began walking back to the village.  
  
“I love you.”   
  
Those words stop Kakashi in his tracks. He turned, an incredulous look on what little of his face Sasuke could see.  
  
“No you don’t.”  
  
“I’ve always loved you. On that second day, when you were testing us, I began to admire you. When you began teaching me your Chidori, I felt like your son. Having lost my family, I needed a father figure. Even when I left, what you said to me that night made me love you even more. I wouldn’t have attempted to kill Naruto, Sakura, and those others if you were with them. Though it wasn’t until I got these eyes and thought of you that I wanted to be with you.”  
  
“It’s not real, Sasuke. And I think it would be an affront to your brother.”  
  
“Was it like this for you? With your eye?”  
  
“I can’t say whether I changed because I wanted to or if it was Obito’s eye. It’ll pass, Sasuke. Go back to your team.”  
  
But as Kakashi walked away he was assaulted by images where Sasuke’s face replaced Itachi’s. He shook those thoughts away. Sasuke was right, he had become like a father to him and Sasuke like a son. A particularly rebellious son, but a son. He stopped and looked back. Sasuke was again sitting against that tree. He walked back.  
  
“I will never be your lover, but I will be your family. I truly loved your brother. Itachi was my world while we were together. Both times. That had nothing to do with my taking you under my wing. You have never been your brother to me. You are like family. Be careful, Sasuke, don’t die before I do.”  
  
Kakashi finally left and Sasuke wept, both from the sentiment and frustration; he didn’t like the confusion Itachi’s eyes were causing him.


	4. Blood on the Pillow

That night was one of the worse of Kakashi’s life. He was plagued by memories of Sasuke and his brother, even Obito. It seemed everything he’d done wrong in his life came to him. They were all dead except Sasuke and the other two: Obito, Rin, Minato, his father, his mother, Itachi, even the Third Hokage. Sasuke had run off to Orochimaru, Naruto was taken away by Jiraiya, and Sakura had become Tsunade’s apprentice. It was like losing his children; he couldn’t help but feel like a failure as a teacher and captain. He didn’t even really have any friends. He was on good terms with most of the shinobi in the village and Gai saw him as a rival, but he didn’t really have friends. Like Sasuke. Like Itachi. Except for his students, everyone he ever cared about was dead.  
  
He should have never kissed Itachi. The boy had been so remorseful over Kakashi getting hurt and had let out his feelings by accident, he couldn’t resist him. Such a beautiful boy. And he had really loved him. They were each other’s only friends at the time, at least Kakashi was Itachi’s only friend outside of the Uchiha. But he really wished he’d never kissed Itachi. He wouldn’t be filled with so much pain now.  
  
And Sasuke. He never realized until tonight just how much he did love him, but as a father. He wanted nothing more than to scoop the young man up and bring him home. In his confused state right now, he might have even allowed it, but he’d never stay. It would be hard for Sasuke to come home. To what? Some people whispered about how unfortunate it was that Naruto was so obsessed with bring home a traitor. He felt that was his stigma too; that traitor was his student. What did Sasuke have to come home to?   
  
Kakashi turned over on his stomach to look at the photographs there. Minato, Obito, Rin, and himself; he, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke; and a newer one of Itachi and himself. He’d taken it himself with a shadow clone taking the picture. Kakashi had his mask on, but his one visible eye was smiling as he pressed his face against Itachi’s. Itachi was smiling, very happy. Those few months while Itachi was hiding out in his home were the happiest either of them ever had except for maybe a few nights eight or so years ago. He knew it was dangerous to even possess this photograph, especially so to display it, but he was beyond caring. He almost wished someone would discover it, he was sick of being forced to keep it a secret. He loved Itachi. Damn the rest of the village, he loved him. This was the only picture he had of Itachi.  
  
He finally fell asleep to dreams of Itachi.  
  
\-----  
  
Itachi was inside of him, sending bolts of pleasure up his spine. His eyes nearly glowed red as he looked down into Kakashi’s eyes. He felt the calloused, yet soft, hand enclose his cock and stroke in time with his thrusts. Itachi’s breathing became more rapid, they were about to cum together . . .  
  
The alarm sounded. Kakashi reached over and swatted at it. Even after it silenced, Kakashi picked it up and threw it into the wall where it disintegrated. _Fucking alarm,_ Kakashi grumbled in his head. He got out of bed grudgingly to finish what his alarm interrupted in the bathroom. He swore as he dried his hair after his shower. He didn’t want to go on a mission, he didn’t want to face his team, he didn’t want to do anything. He didn’t even want to plan how to lure Danzo out of the village. He wanted to go back to sleep with his lover.   
  
Kakashi stared at the black tress on the top of his dresser. He sighed and got dressed. No seeing Obito’s grave this morning, he was going to be late as it was.  
  
Sakura and Naruto didn’t look much more rested than he did. Sai looked perfectly fine. The emotionless bastard. Kakashi had to envy him though; he couldn’t feel the pain the rest of them felt.   
  
“We’re doing a little escort duty today,” Kakashi began without any enthusiasm at all.  
  
\-----  
  
Sasuke didn’t sleep well either. He was trying to sort out all the memories he received from Itachi’s eyes and separate them from his own memories. But he found some memories to be valuable, the memories of Madara and other members of Akatsuki. Other memories merely distracted him, memories of their childhood, their parents, himself, and Kakashi.   
  
His eyes were open and bloodshot when the others woke up. At least his body was rested; they had a long run back to the Akatsuki base.  
  
\-----  
  
A week passed. Kakashi was worried about Sasuke, but wouldn’t let Naruto or Sakura see it. He had told no one about his last meeting with Sasuke, nor that he was going after Madara. If Itachi never attempted to kill him, Kakashi feared he was more powerful than he could imagine.   
  
No mission today. Kakashi sat back against his headboard with the picture of Itachi in his hand. After looking at it for who knows how long, he took it out of the frame, picked up the latest volume of Icha Icha and slid the picture between the pages.   
  
There was a tapping at the window behind him. He shut the book and turned. The ninja cat was back. Kakashi opened the window.  
  
“Sasuke is in a piss poor mood. Madara is dead, as is Kisame. But the rest of Akatsuki got away.”  
  
“Is he hurt?”  
  
The cat hesitated. “Badly. He’s luckily not to be missing a limb or worse. All of them are pretty beat up. He told me that they were lucky Madara was not in his prime. And it ends up Kisame had some kind of personal relationship with Madara and fought to the death to stop them. He didn’t want me to mention how hurt he was, but I know you care about those brothers.”  
  
“Can you take me to him?”  
  
“Honestly, Sasuke’s very close to death. It took a lot just to keep him alive from what I gathered. The fight was three days ago and he was still barely able to move. He doesn’t want help, but, I think he needs it.”  
  
“Let me get Sakura, she’s a skilled medical-nin and Sasuke’s former teammate.”  
  
“Very well, but no one else. He’s going to be pissed.”  
  
\-----  
  
Sakura was more than willing to come with Kakashi and the ninja cat. The cat approached their tiny hideout first to warn the occupants of the visitors. The cat returned and led them in. Sakura got right to work on Sasuke who was the most severally wounded.  
  
Kakashi looked at the other three. Even after a few days, they all looked exhausted and even a little traumatized; a battle between two Mangekyô wielding Uchiha must have been terrifying. Then he noticed Juugo looked much smaller and . . . younger.   
  
Kakashi approached the mist-nin swordsman who was looking more at his injured leader than his new acquisition. “What happened?”  
  
Suigetsu told as much of the story as he could, at times he could say nothing more than black flames and warps in space. There were even several minutes where the two never moved, locked in a genjutsu battle while the other three fought Kisame. Sasuke ended it with a diabolical combination of Amaterasu, the phoenix fire jutsu, Chidori, and just enough genjutsu to warp Madara’s time sense. Sasuke immediately collapsed, using the last of his chakra to put out a few stray black flames.   
  
Juugo had to repair a section of Sasuke’s abdomen and Karin forced him to suck in some of her chakra while Suigetsu was the one to carry him away, the others severely weakened.   
  
Hearing the story, Kakashi went to Sasuke’s side where Sakura was working furiously. There was blood on Sasuke’s pillow. Kakashi retreated from the sight, though he did not hurry, seeming to only be leaving Sakura to her work and perhaps serve as lookout for the time being in case they were followed. But the real reason he retreated was because he remembered blood on Itachi’s pillow not long before he died. Kakashi found a place alone and sat down.  
  
It was not a week before Kakashi saw Itachi alive for the last time. Itachi was particularly wanton that night. Kakashi allowed Itachi to lay him down. Itachi’s kiss was like life itself. Once again, he tasted like blood. Itachi seemed desperate to inhale Kakashi’s lips and tongue.   
  
“Oh, my raven,” Kakashi sighed as Itachi’s head rose and Kakashi mused his loose raven hair.  
  
Itachi’s lips fell to his chest, sucking gasps from Kakashi’s lungs. Oiled fingers moved between Kakashi’s legs and teased his entrance. His lips traveled further south to give Kakashi’s length one long lick up the underside from root to tip. A slick finger thrust in even as Itachi sucked in his cock head. He continued to loosen his lover, finger by finger, as he pleasured his cock in every way he knew how with scraping teeth, soothing lips, convulsing throat, and caressing tongue. A few strokes to Kakashi’s prostate and he came hard into Itachi’s waiting mouth, still sucking and tonguing until Kakashi was spent. Itachi’s finger continued to message his entrance open as he kissed his inner thigh.  
  
When Kakashi’s erection started coming back to life, Itachi coated his own, knelt between his raised knees and entered him slowly. Kakashi's tight heat seemed to suck his cock inside. Already relaxed, Kakashi needed no time to adjust and Itachi began thrusting, gently at first then lost himself to the pleasure of that heat.  
  
“Senpai,” Itachi moaned. Kakashi feebly reached up to put a hand to that pale cheek. Itachi rubbed his face unto his hand like a cat.  
  
Itachi’s self control was evident as he held off his own release until Kakashi cam again. Itachi cam deep inside his lover; Kakashi could almost feel it here as he sat in this cavern. Itachi held himself up after their shared orgasm. He leaned on one of the Kakashi’s upright knees. When Kakashi’s vision cleared and his eyes focused on his lover’s face, Itachi scooped up the cum from Kakashi’s sculpted waist and knowing the effect it would have, slowly licked his fingers clean, the very image of insatiable wantonness.  
  
Fingers and abdomen clean, Itachi wove between the upraised thighs to straddle Kakashi’s stomach. Leaning back on those thighs, Itachi raised himself and prepared himself. Kakashi could see little behind Itachi’s spent manhood, but he watched that lithe body writhe on his own fingers and the rapture on his face. Kakashi raised his hands again to caress the pronounced ribs, the slim waist, and the boney plains of his hips. Kakashi did not allow himself to consider how wasted the illness left his lover.  
  
Open and craving to be filled, Itachi lay down beside Kakashi. Kakashi turned over onto that frail body, careful not to put his weight on his, and entered him, made gentle love to him, and kissed him deeply. Blood again. Blood mixed with the flavor of his own seed.   
  
Kakashi pulled back to increase his pace. Itachi mouthed Kakashi’s name and title, never speaking it, but breathing it.  
  
Itachi’s body tensed and milked Kakashi’s. Itachi cried out as he cam for the second time. His cry ended with coughing. Itachi spun over onto his stomach, barely giving Kakashi enough time to pull out, and coughed and retched , spraying blood onto the white pillow case. He kept coughing. It seemed a pint, a liter, a torrent of blood that spilled from Itachi’s lips.  
  
Kakashi held him, careful not to constrict his lover’s chest. He wept into Itachi’s shoulder. He hadn’t realized Itachi was so sick already. They could not longer lie to each other about his health.  
  
Itachi coughed until there was no strength left in his boy. The blood he had lost left him with no strength to expel the blood that seeped from his lungs making his breath rattle. He chocked a little, but continued to breathe.  
  
Kakashi held him, powerless to help him. There really was no hope for him, Itachi was going to die and soon. He couldn’t stop his grief, not even for Itachi’s benefit. A few more gasping coughs and Itachi lost consciousness, his face falling into the shallow pool of blood. Kakashi pulled his face from the bloody pillow and pulled his wasted, sleeping body to the cleaner bedding.  
  
After that Kakashi deemed Itachi too weak for sex. He still held him and kissed him, tasting blood when he did. It killed Kakashi to kiss him goodbye before that mission. Itachi was not there when he returned.   
  
Now Sasuke’s pillow was as stained as his brother’s.  
  
“My pretty little raven,” Kakashi said to the cold cavern air, “I will not let Sasuke die.”  
  
He went outside and used a water jutsu to clean himself up, then went back to the main chamber of the cavern.  
  
He knelt at Sasuke’s side across from Sakura.  
  
“Is there anything I can do?”  
  
Her emotions were walled up behind her determination and professionalism. “He’s very cold. Can you make a larger fire?”  
  
It was easy enough for Kakashi who had learned many of his fire jutsu from the Uchiha. Kakashi stayed at Sasuke’s side as Sakura worked. The other three often stared at them, but as Sakura’s pace grew less frantic, they began to relax and doze.  
  
Sakura was still working on Sasuke a few hours later when Karin perked up.   
  
“Someone’s coming.”  
  
“Shinobi?” Suigetsu asked.  
  
“Akatsuki.”  
  
“Shit.”  
  
“Sakura, stay with Sasuke,” Kakashi said. He stood and prepared for battle, raising his headband and putting on his gloves. “We’ll deal with the intruders.”  
  
Sakura heard the battle rage outside, the cavern rocked with explosions and powerful jutsu. Dust and small rocks peppered her and her patient.  
  
It was only Zatsu. But three of his opponents were worn out. His splitting into two was a pain in the ass.   
  
As they fought, Kakashi and Karin felt a flaring of sinister chakra behind them. They didn’t recognize it at first, fearing another member of Akatsuki was taking their rear. They turned to see Sasuke looking haggard and barely standing. Sakura stood behind him, unable to stop him.   
  
Kakashi grabbed Juugo’s collar and yanked him out of the way and called out to Suigetsu. Karin ran. Sasuke glared at the Venus flytrap, his body going up in black flames. Sasuke watched him mercilessly. He did not put the flames out, even once the man’s cries ceased; he would not waste the chakra. Whether he was dead or not, Sasuke finally turned away and allowed Sakura to help him back to his bedroll.  
  
Kakashi sent his lightening hound to make sure of the man. “How many Akatsuki are left?” Kakashi asked the others.  
  
“Two,” Karin said. “We never met them. The strongest member after Madara and one other, a woman.”  
  
“We should get Sasuke further away from any Akatsuki bases.”  
  
“Where?” Suigetsu asked. “Konoha?” he asked skeptically.   
  
“Take him to one of Orochimaru’s. Akatsuki was hunting him down as much as Konoha was. Those bases must still be secret.”  
  
“The prisoners who escaped might lead Akatsuki to those.”  
  
“An Uchiha hideout then.”  
  
“There are none out this far,” Karin said.   
  
“We’ll have to try. Sasuke needs rest; he needs to not being fighting at all, even if it’s over in a single doujutsu. We’ll be harder to find if we’re moving. I don’t care if we have to build a palanquin; we have to get him, and the three of you, somewhere safe.”  
  
The others nodded.


	5. Death of the Ghost

Sakura went back to Konoha once they moved Sasuke to one of the better furnished and hidden Uchiha base and Sasuke was deemed stable. Kakashi remained. The three members of Taka did not mind his presence as Kakashi had feared they would.   
  
Sasuke had woken up on Juugo’s back a few times as they fled Akatsuki’s territory, but he would just close his eyes and either rest or go back to sleep. His chakra was restored by the time they made it to the base which housed the ninja cats. Even without catnip, the cats led them deeper into the hideout on seeing the state the last—now truly the last—Uchiha was in. Sasuke hadn’t woken up since they arrived.  
  
When he did, Kakashi was at his side. Sasuke smiled up at him. Kakashi had to wonder if it was his student smiling at him or the ghost of his lover trapped in those eyes.  
  
“Where are the others?” Sasuke asked.  
  
“In their own rooms.”  
  
Sasuke’s eyes turned red and Kakashi felt a presence behind him. He turned and there was Itachi. It was a younger Itachi as he looked before he slaughtered his clan. Itachi didn’t even look at Sasuke, just at Kakashi. Kakashi shoved himself back.   
  
“You’re not real.”  
  
Itachi came closer. Kakashi pushed at his shoulder, expecting it to go through the illusion, but the shoulder was solid.   
  
“Sasuke, stop this. This can’t be real.”  
  
The ninja cat that stayed with him, the same he summoned as a messenger, came over and stuck his claws into Sasuke’s arm. Sasuke cried out, more out of surprise than pain and Itachi dissolved to nothing. The cat jumped up onto Sasuke’s chest.  
  
“Just what were you trying to do?” The cat walked up to sit on his throat and batted gently at Sasuke’s temple. “What’s going on in that head of yours?” Sasuke didn’t seem to take much offence, apparently used to the ninja cats behavior. “It’s those eyes of your, isn’t it? Madara had similar trouble when he took Izuna’s eyes. I will help.”  
  
The cat jumped off Sasuke’s chest. “Kakashi, bring that mist-nin in here with his prickly sword.”  
  
Kakashi obeyed.  
  
“What are you going to do?” Sasuke asked, sitting up.  
  
“Lay back. It won’t hurt. It’s Itachi’s chakra. It’s messing with your head and impairing your judgment. I know about him and Kakashi. I think Izuna’s memories were part of the reason Madara went a little nuts. That sword should be able to suck his chakra out of ya.”  
  
Kakashi and Suigetsu came in. “Kakashi, put your headband over Sasuke’s eyes just in case. You have control over that sword?” he asked Suigetsu.  
  
“Sort of.”  
  
“Truly confidence inspiring. Hold the sword over Sasuke’s eyes. Kakashi’s help him. Just keep it there until Sasuke doesn’t feel Itachi’s chakra anymore. Shouldn’t take long. Might take longer if his chakra has traveled throughout your body.”  
  
“My chakra just recovered.”  
  
“A little food and rest will bring it back, now shut up and let it go.”  
  
After about twenty minutes—which Suigetsu was sure was only because Sasuke was a sadist—Sasuke finally told them he couldn’t feel Itachi anymore. Suigetsu was tempted to drop the heavy, unruly sword on Sasuke, but he pulled it away and Sasuke took off Kakashi’s headband. He looked at Kakashi without any trace of lust and threw the headband to him.  
  
“I think it worked.”  
  
“Good, now we can avoid another Madara. Don’t need our last master going nuts like his great-great-grandfather.” The cat strutted away with his tail raised high.  
  
“What was that all about?” Suigetsu asked still rubbing his tired arms.   
  
“Itachi’s chakra was making me . . . see things. Thank you for your help, Suigetsu.”  
  
Suigetsu left muttering about his arms and improper use of a sword.   
  
“You really okay?” Kakashi asked.  
  
Sasuke looked straight at him. “Yeah. I’m sorry for how I acted. Itachi must have really loved you.”  
  
“I believe he did. I’m going back to Konoha. The cats assure me you’ll be safe here. The Hokage will already be pissed that I left without telling her.”  
  
“Sounds like a wife.”  
  
“Ha. She’ll act like one too. Should I send one of my hounds here when we have a plan, or will the cats take offence?”  
  
“I’ll allow you to summon me for a while,” the cat said from his bed. He stood and grabbed a scroll with his mouth. He deposited it in Kakashi’s hand. “Just keep those mutts away from us.”  
  
“I promise.” He turned to Sasuke. “What will you do once you kill the elders? Come home to Konoha?”  
  
“I won’t be very welcome. I don’t know. I’m not too keen to go back.”  
  
“You do have friends there.”  
  
“Naruto and Sakura.”  
  
“I’m sure there are others among your peers who will welcome you home. And Iruka.”  
  
“I don’t want to see any of them. I decided not to destroy Konoha, that doesn’t mean I forgive them. I can’t forgive that village. I may not kill them, but every time I think of them smiling or laughing it feels like scorn. Everything they do is at Itachi’s expense. Don’t you feel that too, Kakashi?”  
  
“Itachi loved the village, that’s why he did what he did. I don’t feel their happiness is an affront to Itachi, I think it’s what Itachi wanted. Don’t hate them for something they have nothing to do with.”  
  
“I can’t help it. If they don’t try to burn me at the stake, I’ll try to live there.”  
  
“Good. If you don’t return, you will be hunted down by ANBU; you’re already in Root’s Bingo Book, though not in ANBU’s. Tsunade is giving you a chance.”  
  
“I’ll try, Kakashi. Thank Sakura for me.”  
  
“I will.”  
  
\-----  
  
Tsunade did scold Kakashi on his return, but also gave him news of a plan to lure out Donzo. Kakashi told her Sasuke was in no state at the moment to fight him; they had time to fine-tune the plan.   
  
Kakashi gave Sakura Sasuke’s tanks and returned home. Someone had been in his home, probably because he went missing. Kakashi was thankful he hid Itachi’s picture. Kakashi opened the book and stared at Itachi’s face. No one had found it.   
  
“You’re little brother has become a powerful shinobi, ‘Tachi. I’ll bring him home.”


	6. Kakashi's Choice

One of Juugo’s little bird friends delivered the letter saying Sasuke had killed Danzo and they were in hiding, healing from the battle. Kakashi assumed Sasuke had used up too much chakra to even call one of his ninja cats so resorted to the bird.  
  
Kakashi picked up the tress of black hair he’d harvested from Itachi. He caressed its smooth surface then ran his fingers through it. He remembered it warmer and more responsive as Itachi would move his head and the strands would pull gently from his weak grasp.  
  
He heard Itachi moan in his memory. Itachi was arching off the bed with his head thrown back as Kakashi sucked him to release. Kakashi could taste him. He felt the ghost touch of Itachi’s hands as if he were pulling him toward the bed. Kakashi lay down and relived those memories.  
  
Itachi’s skin glowed in the moonlight, shining as he began to sweat under Kakashi’s ministrations. His hair shimmered like the moon’s reflection on water. Itachi was perfection. But that face. The tear troughs under his eyes were like a brand from birth that he would never be happy. His eyes used to be rounder, more innocent despite the killing and fighting in ANBU and the illicit relationship they were having. They became narrower in those last few days before the slaughter. When they were reunited, his eyes were permanently narrow, never able to open to the innocent roundness of his youth. It saddened Kakashi then, but now the fact was like a stab in the heart.   
  
Sasuke had inherited that doom of sadness.   
  
But his thoughts went back to his luscious raven. Kakashi felt that lithe body against his and could smell him. Itachi straddled him and took him into his body. That tight warmth was too much even in his memory. Itachi’s long hair spilled over his shoulders and danced over his chest as he rode Kakashi’s hips. His black eyes smoldered and he opened them to look down at Kakashi. As he neared his release, his eyes turned bright red. He shut his eyes as he cam, moaning out ‘Sempai.’ Kakashi, both in his memory and real life, cam as well. Itachi lowered himself over him, tucking his head under Kakashi’s chin and murmured how much he loved him while Kakashi caressed that smooth, scarless back and hair. He could smell that hair. Leaves and fresh rain soaked dirt, like a breeze in forest.  
  
He then saw the body as it was after the autopsy. Kakashi’s sadness turned to rage. He sat up, the muscles of his naked body shaking. He loved Itachi so much. Life was hard enough after he slaughtered his clan and ran off, but now that he was dead Kakashi found it hard to breathe sometimes. Why bother drawing another breathe if he couldn’t smell that breeze or inhale Itachi’s breath?   
  
As if Itachi’s spirit was trying to calm him, he felt/remembered Itachi sitting behind him with a hand over his chest and an arm around his waist.   
  
“Itachi.”  
  
Itachi’s sculpted face lay on his shoulder. He could feel that hard cheekbone against his collarbone and the ghost of breath on his upper back.   
  
Kakashi calmed, but otherwise he was not mollified. Itachi’s face pulled away as if he knew he could not comfort his lover.   
  
“I can’t do it, Itachi. I love you too much.”  
  
The memory of the arms around him fled. He shut his eyes. He knew it wasn’t Itachi’s ghost, just a memory.   
  
Sasuke was living in a nightmare similar to his brother. He had to save him from it; he couldn’t leave Sasuke to suffer the way Itachi suffered. The way he was suffering.   
  
Sasuke’s words were penetrating. The village had violated Itachi’s body and his honor. When he thought about the people outside laughing and smiling he remembered Sasuke’s words and saw Itachi’s carved body. He began to understand Sasuke’s resentment. Itachi chose Sasuke over the village and he was beginning to see Itachi over the village, Sasuke over the village.  
  
Kakashi’s mind was made up. He set about writing a letter.  
  
\-----  
  
Finally, Sasuke entered the gates of Konoha with his team in tow.  
  
When Izumo and Kotetsu stopped them, he said, “Take us to the Hokage tower.” The pair did so.   
  
Word had gotten ahead of them and Tsunade was waiting for them in her office. All four of them were aware of the number of ANBU around them, visible and invisible; they made no threatening gestures.   
  
“Danzo is dead,” Sasuke stated. Tsunade took a breath. She seemed . . . relieved. “Very well. Have you come to turn yourself in?”  
  
“Ha,” Sasuke said with great, but quiet, amusement. “I’ve come for the elders; those two old bats who advised the Third.”  
  
“They’re dead.”  
  
Sasuke was taken aback. _Dead?_ “May I ask how?”   
  
“Kakashi murdered them then killed himself.”   
  
“Kakashi? He’s dead?” he asked as calmly as possible, not showing the distress in his chest.  
  
“Yes. Fell on his own sword. I thought you would come; he left you message.” She tossed him an envelope addressed to him. It had been opened. He took out the page. “It’s blank,” Tsunade said. “But there must be something of meaning for you.”  
  
Sasuke activated his Sharingan, the visible ANBU tensed, but Sasuke didn’t flinch or look away from the white page. Words appeared, visible only to his Sharingan.   
  
_Sasuke,  
My father threw away his honor to protect his comrades and killed himself in shame. Your brother sacrificed his entire family, except for you, for the sake of the village, and sacrificed his honor for you. I feel compelled to follow their example.  
You were my precious student. I saw so much of myself in you: a young genius, no family, arrogant, but with reason, cold, superior, holding yourself aloof from those you should have called friends, from those who loved you. You and I were very much alike, at least the younger me. You are like the son I will never have. I passed my Chidori only to you and you have taken it to levels I never dreamed; I’m very proud of you. But I wish you could have learned more from me, the lesson I tried to teach you that night, that revenge will leave you empty and alone, if not dead. I wish I, Naruto, and Sakura could have been your family. We tried. Perhaps not hard enough.  
I loved your brother and swore to train you. I also swore to bring you home safely. So I took your revenge. I go to join your brother. Please don’t hold it against me. Find happiness, find some life beyond revenge, even if you must escape the village. Your brother and I have sacrificed everything for you, don’t waste it. Revive your clan and surround yourself with friends and a new family. Don’t end up alone like me. Alone.   
I leave all my possessions to you and Naruto and Sakura. The three of you are the closest thing to family to me still living.  
Forgive me, but this way the deaths of these two will not be on you and I can avenge your brother, my lover. Goodbye. Flee if you need to, but find happiness.  
Hatake Kakashi  
PS Stuck in the last volume of the_ Icha Icha _series is a photograph I’m sure you’ll want to keep._  
  
Sasuke’s Sharingan faded. He lowered the page, but did not raise his head.  
  
“What do you have planned for me, Hokage?”  
  
“Are you giving yourself up?”  
  
“That all depends, doesn’t it?”  
  
“Practical. You destroyed Orochimaru and Ota. You killed at several members of Akatsuki, including your brother. You killed Danzo, a dangerous man who plotted to destroy the village in order to take control of it. It doesn’t seem that you have done any harm to the village. If you surrender, I think a year of probation would be in order, then you can retake the chunnin exam and resume missions with Team Kaka—your old team.”  
  
“And my companions? They will be free to go or stay, whatever they decide?”  
  
Tsunade considered the trio flanking Sasuke. They were confused, but said nothing. “If they stay, they swear loyalty to Konoha and the Fire Country and they will also be put on probation. If they leave, it will be after some questioning, then they can go on their way.”  
  
“We have your word?”  
  
“You’ll stay?”  
  
“As long as no harm comes to them and you stand by what you’ve said and have the authority to guarantee your promises.”  
  
“You have my word. I couldn’t harm you anyway; Naruto and Sakura would kill me. Literally. You and your team will be safe and welcome, as far as I am concerned, in Konoha. I cannot speak for the entire village on this however. There will no doubt be those who will not trust you and even hate you.”  
  
“I’m prepared.” Sasuke turned to his team. “You are free to decide for yourselves.”  
  
“I have no where else to go,” Juugo said, “I will stay with you.”  
  
“I also have no home to go back to,” Karin said. “I’ll remain here, with you.”  
  
“Sorry, Sasuke,” Suigetsu said. “I’m got my own goals and my village wouldn’t like it if I turned traitor to Konoha. I wouldn’t fit in here anyway; you all are too soft around here.”  
  
Sasuke nodded and returned his attention to Tsunade. “The three of us will stay. Let Suigetsu go.”  
  
Tsunade nodded. “Welcome home.”  
  
“But understand this: any harm befalls these three and I will take action.”  
  
“Understood. We’ll prepare rooms here in the tower for you four. Get some rest and something to eat. Tomorrow you’ll all have to be debriefed, then Suigetsu may leave and the three of you can return to the Uchiha compound or find somewhere else to live.”  
  
“I will return to the compound.” Juugo and Karin nodded.  
  
“I don’t mean to separate you from your team, but can I have a private word with you, Sasuke? Everyone will wait just outside.” Sasuke nodded and the room cleared, even of ANBU. “What did Kakashi write?”  
  
Sasuke just stared at her for several long moments, but he considered it payment for her leniency. He raised the paper, activated his Sharingan, and read it out loud in an emotionless voice, all except for the note about the photograph.  
  
“What does he mean? About your brother?” Sasuke told her the whole truth. “That’s why you killed Danzo and Kakashi killed Homura and Koharu. Very well. It’s up to you: do you want to maintain the view the village has of your clan, or do you want the truth revealed? I can make an announcement that Itachi was on a secret mission for the village, as were you, but I would have to explain why your clan is dead. But you and your brother will be honored for your sacrifices.”  
  
“There are those in this village who remember the Uchiha and did believe we summoned the Kyuubi to destroy the village. You might as well reveal the truth. I don’t know how much I could take of people speaking ill of my brother anyway. Tell them the truth.”  
  
“Go and rest. I won’t tell Naruto or Sakura about your return until later, give you some time to rest.”  
  
Sasuke nodded and turned to rejoin his team, but he stopped. “And Kakashi. Restore his honor as well.”  
  
“I will.”  
  
Sasuke left.  
  
\-----  
  
Sasuke found himself in his childhood home once again. He forced himself to stomach it. He told Juugo and Karin to take the house next to his. The three of them worked together to repair the neglected buildings and clean them up.   
  
Tsunade allowed him into Kakashi’s home to take what he wanted of his sensei’s possessions since he left everything to his team. There was nothing. Sasuke walked around and tried to see Kakashi in anything here, but he didn’t. To be honest, there was little here. Sasuke remembered that Kakashi used to live in a very small apartment, but he moved back to his family home at some point, probably when he started harboring Itachi.   
  
Most of Kakashi’s things were in his bedroom. Sasuke’s heart sank. There were photographs of his teams, Minato’s and Team 7. He remembered the day the latter one was taken. He shoved that memory aside even as he felt the memory hand of Kakashi on his head. The photographs prompted him to look for the book Kakashi mentioned in the letter. He found the three books sitting on the bedside table. He sat on the bed and flipped through the third book and found the picture.   
  
Sasuke didn’t think he could cry anymore, too jaded and too much beyond weeping. But he felt tears strike his hand. The two people he loved, his brother and surrogate father, smiling happily out of the photograph, both dead, both having essentially committed suicide, for him. He shut the book forcefully and clamped it shut with his hand. He wept hard. He fell over and curled on the bed holding the book to his chest and wept.   
  
When Sasuke recovered he took a closer look around the room and found the black tress. He didn’t even need to see the red band to know it was Itachi’s. Sasuke thought it a slightly macabre memento, but he took it with him, more to keep anyone else from finding it than any other reason. He took the three books and three photographs, the one in the book and the two of Kakashi with his teams and, after straightening the bedclothes, he left.   
  
Sasuke wasn’t aware when Tsunade made the announcement that he was back and revealed the ‘truth,’ such as it was, about he and his brother. She told everyone that Kakashi had died defending the elders from an Akatsuki assassin.  
  
As soon as she was done speaking, Naruto and Sakura nearly attacked her, demanding to know where Sasuke was. She told them, and within minutes, they stood at the gates of the Uchiha compound. They stopped. This had been a forbidden place, believed to be haunted, and they had never entered it. Naruto slowly opened the gates.   
  
Karin had sensed them and came outside, ready to defend herself and Sasuke. Juugo followed to defend Sasuke if needed. The two pairs stared at each other.  
  
In some ways, these pairs reflected each other: the girls had hair of different shades of pink and the boys, spiky lighter colored hair, yellow and orange. The girls were excitable and in love with Sasuke, the boys also loved Sasuke, though their personalities were opposites.   
  
“You’re Sasuke’s new team?” Sakura asked.  
  
“We are,” Karin responded. “Who are you?”  
  
“His old team,” Naruto answered. “Where is he?”  
  
Sasuke came out of his home then, looking blankly at Naruto and Sakura. “I have nothing to say to the two of you. Please leave.” He retreated back into his home. Naruto and Sakura were too stunned to move for a moment.   
  
“Sasuke,” Sakura called before Sasuke could shut the door. Karin stepped up to stop her. “I’m here by the Hokage’s order.”  
  
Sasuke turned. “Let her come in. Naruto, go home.”  
  
“But Sasuke—” Juugo and Karin stood in front of him.  
  
Sasuke shut the door behind Sakura.   
  
“Hurry this up,” Sasuke said.  
  
Sakura looked around. Except for Sasuke’s sandals, the entryway was bare. The glimpse she had of the next room hinted that the entire house was barren. Sasuke probably threw everything that was left away, not wanting memories of his slaughtered family.  
  
Sasuke was watching her intently so she forced herself to say something. “Lady Tsunade said you might not want to speak to us.”  
  
“So? What business does she have with me?”  
  
“She said that you won’t have to take the Chunnin exam again. But you will have to test to become a Jounin. You can start off as a Chunnin, you and your team.”  
  
“Is that all?”  
  
“Sasuke, you really don’t care about us anymore?”  
  
“When did I?”  
  
“I know you used to, at least a little.”  
  
“I’m grateful for your help earlier, but I’ve lost pretty much everything I had left Sakura. I find my brother was not my enemy, he dies, and now Kakashi is dead. I want to be left alone.”  
  
“When you’re ready, will you come to Naruto and I? You have to eventually leave this compound.”  
  
“The Hokage has already implied Team Kakashi will be brought back together. But I have Juugo and Karin; I don’t know what the Hokage plans. I’m also on a year of probation; the three of us are. We will leave to get provisions, but that is all. You can leave.”  
  
“Sasuke-kun.”  
  
“I don’t love you; get that through your head! Now leave.”  
  
“We’ve also lost Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke.” Sakura left.   
  
“Sakura-chan?” Naruto asked at her expression.  
  
“Let’s leave, Naruto.”  
  
Once they were at the gates, Sasuke came out and leaned against the doorway. “What do you two think? Was it the right decision to stay here?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Juugo said.  
  
“Where else were we to go?”  
  
“Karin, your feelings for me aside, do you want to stay here?”  
  
“Well,” she started nervously, “it’s a nice village.”  
  
Sasuke turned to lean his back on the doorframe. “I don’t know what I want.” Sasuke rubbed his face. “No, that’s not true. I know what I don’t want. I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to be around them. I don’t feel like I’ve come home. Do neither of you have any other family or friends?”  
  
“None.”  
  
“Everyone is dead,” Karin said. “And as Orochimaru’s jail keeper, I had no friends.”  
  
“I’ll consider other options. Karin, I want you to seriously consider something.” Karin stood a little straighter, ready to do anything Sasuke asked her. “Examine your feelings for me; do you really love me?” She blushed, but kept her composure. “Many of the girls here acted like you do. I need to know if your feelings are really genuine. I don’t want an answer now, but I will want it soon.”  
  
\-----  
  
Sakura came over once more alone. Sasuke came out to meet her, armed.   
  
“Please, Sasuke, at least speak with Naruto. He’s done the most to bring you back and he cares about you more than anyone else. Speak with him. You’re not talking to him and Kakashi’s death has taken away all his normal cheer.”  
  
“The fool should have let me go long ago. So should you.”  
  
“You don’t care about us? What about Kakashi’s death? Don’t you—”  
  
Sasuke pulled his sword and pointed it at her. “Kakashi’s death wasn’t my fault!”  
  
“Why would it be?”  
  
“Just leave me!”  
  
“How did Kakashi die? I thought there was something wrong; it took Tsunade-sama a long time to announce his death. How’d he die? You know, don’t you?!”  
  
“He died honorably. He died for the sake of his comrades, for his family. I will kill anyone who impugns his honor.”  
  
“You do care about Kakashi-sensei. You care about us, don’t you?”  
  
“Sakura. I will pay you the respect of not using my Sharingan to force you to leave. Don’t test my generosity beyond that. If you or Naruto come through those gates again, or anyone else, without official word from the Hokage, I will use these eyes. I’m sure Kakashi hinted at the horrors we Uchiha can create.”  
  
Sakura saw the deadly seriousness in Sasuke’s eyes. She ran from him. His fury was a façade. His shoulders slumped and he sheathed his sword. Karin and Juugo were standing just in the doorway, watching. He approached them and sat against the house, put his head in his hands and wept. Karin dropped down to comfort him. He grabbed her, scaring her for a moment until she realized he was crying into her shoulder. She encapsulated him in her arms.   
  
When Sasuke calmed, he told them, “We’ll leave. Kakashi suggest it in the letter he left for me. There’s nothing for me here. Your answer, Karin.”  
  
She didn’t blush, she didn’t act like a gushing schoolgirl, she looked at him with warmth and said, “I love you, Sasuke.”  
  
He nodded. “The three of us will leave tonight.”  
  
\-----  
  
Naruto and Sakura hadn’t heard of or seen Sasuke for over a week. They tried to see him again despite his threats. The Uchiha compound seemed even more dismal and haunted than a week ago. No one came out of the houses as they had the last time.  
  
Naruto broke into a run and burst into the house Sasuke had been living in. No sound. No decoration or anything beside basic furniture. Nothing. The next house. Nothing. The three of them were gone. Naruto hit the wall in frustration. He’d lost Sasuke again.


	7. Epilogue

Three young black haired boys walked on the road to Konoha. The two youngest, twins, bickered while the elder seemed to ignore them. Their clothes were dusty and they looked like they had traveled a long way. Heavier, warmer clothes were tied to their packs attesting to their coming from a colder climate.   
  
They were stopped at the gates by an anonymous shinobi.   
  
“Who are you boys?”  
  
“We’re here to see the Hokage. Uzumaki Naruto is the Hokage right?”  
  
“He is.”  
  
“Good, that’s who we’re supposed to see.”  
  
“You can’t just walk into the village and expect to see the Hokage.”  
  
“But that what father told us to do. Or ask for Haruno Sakura.”  
  
“Who’s your father? Who are you?”  
  
Once of the younger boys proudly said, “Our father’s Uchiha Sasuke.”  
  
“We were only supposed to tell the Hokage that,” the older boy said.  
  
“He’s not letting us see him, is he?” the younger boy mumbled.  
  
“Izuna,” he warned.  
  
“Cool it ‘Tachi,” Izuna’s twin said.  
  
“You’re Uchiha’s Sasuke’s children?”  
  
“Yeah,” Izuna said. He turned to Itachi, “Told you it would help.”  
  
“Can we see the Hokage now?” the twin said.  
  
The shinobi turned and escorted them through the village.  
  
“Hey, did Naruto marry Sakura? Father said he would.”  
  
“Kiyoshi! I don’t think you should be talking about their Hokage that way.”  
  
The shinobi answered anyway. “No, he married Hyuuga Hinata.”  
  
“Then who did Sakura marry?”  
  
“Izuna,” Itachi scolded softly.  
  
“Rock Lee.”  
  
“Father told us about him. He’ll be shocked to hear that.”  
  
Itachi managed to keep his little brothers quiet the rest of the way. On being told that the children of Uchiha Sasuke were here to see him, Naruto had them brought into his office, but not before summoning a pair of ANBU guards.  
  
The boys looked very much like Sasuke when he was young. Itachi had a much sharper face that Naruto attributed to his mother and only he had Sasuke’s duck butt hair. The other two boys had much more normal hair. The eldest appeared to be around ten, his brothers seven or eight.  
  
“Lord Hokage,” Itachi said.  
  
“Why are there so many people hiding around us?” Kiyoshi asked.  
  
“Quiet,” Itachi hissed at him. “I am Uchiha Itachi, these are my brothers, Izuna and Kiyoshi. Our father sent us here to become shinobi.”  
  
“Uchiha Sasuke.”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Who’s your mother?”  
  
“Uchiha Karin.”  
  
“So he married her. What about the big guy with orange hair?”  
  
“Juugo? He’s with them.”  
  
“He sent all his children here for training?”  
  
“No. Our sister stayed. She wanted to stay home.”  
  
“So did we,” the twins grumbled.  
  
“Where did you come from?”  
  
“All we’re allowed to say is from the north.”  
  
“He sent his own children alone? Seems he’s as cruel as ever; even trained shinobi would have trouble traveling over that terrain.”  
  
“We are trained. But he said if we wanted to be real shinobi, we’d have to come to a village, but only to Konoha. He said you would take us in and let us become shinobi.”  
  
“After he betrayed and left us? Twice? He thinks he can send his children to us and we would trust them? Uchiha are not welcome here.”  
  
The ANBU the boy’s sensed, using their mother’s talent, appeared around them. “Izuna!” Itachi cried.  
  
Izuna pulled out a scroll and activated it faster than the ANBU could move. “Get down!” an older voice cried out from the cloud of smoke followed by the sound of a blade being pulled from a sheath. When the smoke cleared, the three boys were laying on the ground at the feet of a man dressed in black with a sword ready. His red eyes flew around to see the situation.  
  
“Sasuke,” Naruto said.   
  
“Yo,” Sasuke responded, but he did not lower his guard. His eyes darted to the eyes of every ANBU mask and pulled them each into his genjutsu, putting them into a deep sleep.  
  
“Itachi, any I missed?” Sasuke asked his eldest son.  
  
“No.”  
  
“So that’s what that scroll does,” Izuna said in amazement.  
  
“It’s a good thing I didn’t take too long in the shower,” he said with a smirk. His hair was still damp. “I’m guessing your answer is ‘no,’ Naruto.”  
  
“It is. How can I trust sons of yours?”  
  
Sasuke unrolled a scroll. “When you get back, tell your mother to summon me back in ten minutes.” Sasuke activated the scroll and the three boys disappeared.   
  
“I’m disappointed, Naruto. I am glad to see you achieved your dream though. But I hoped you wouldn’t hold my children accountable for my sins. I never betrayed Konoha. The worse I ever did was kill Danzo and that was actually a great favor. Kakashi understood. It was he who suggested I leave; he understood how I felt better than anyone.”  
  
“He was dead before you came home.”  
  
“Home," Sasuke mused. "Ever since my clan was killed, I never felt like Konoha was my home. Kakashi wrote a letter to me before he died. I received it the night I returned. I kept a copy with me in case it came to this. Only the Sharingan could read the words on the original.” Sasuke tossed it to Naruto. “He was in love with my brother. Kakashi was the only family I felt I had left; my brother’s lover and my surrogate father. That damn fool killed himself for me. I think he also couldn’t live without Itachi. We both found it hard.”  
  
Naruto read the letter in silence. When he finished, he considered it for a minute.   
  
“I’m actually a little glad you don’t trust us Uchiha; I didn’t want to send my sons away, but they wanted to become real shinobi. We have trained them. We’ve not betrayed Konoha, we’ve just been defending out home village from bandits and missing-nins. I sent them alone so they could practice their teamwork and have the opportunity to use their skills, but I gave them that summoning scroll so that if their lives were in danger, I could save them.”  
  
“I don’t think I can ever really forgive you. All I wanted was for you to come home.”  
  
“Did you ever consider what would make me happy? Did you ever consider I wouldn’t be able to come back here? You may have felt this was where I belonged, but when lost my family, I lost any real connection to the village. Until I joined Team 7. You are my friend and Kakashi became like a father. I lost Kakashi and I . . . couldn’t face you anymore. I still don’t want to. You were not enough to tie me to Konoha. I also lost any desire to be a shinobi. I decided to take my new family, Karin and Juugo, and build a new life away from the history of the Uchiha and Konoha. Away from the shinobi world. But the Uchiha will remain friends of Konoha. I like my life now, Naruto. I didn’t like it here or with Orochimaru, or on the run.  
  
“My time is about up. I’d appreciate it if you don’t come looking for me like you used to. Please don’t do anything to impugn Kakashi’s honor. Burn that letter when you’re done with it. Goodbye, my friend.”  
  
A few seconds and Sasuke vanished from Naruto’s office.  
  
Sasuke reappeared, not in his home, but in a quiet back ally in Konoha. Karin knew that he didn’t mean ten minutes; she would know that if their sons had summoned him to Konoha, he’d want more time than that. Ten minutes was merely a blind for Naruto.  
  
The village had changed. The only Akatsuki Sasuke and his team had failed to kill was Pein and Konan. They had attacked. The village was completely rebuilt. Activating his Sharingan, Sasuke scanned the area for a familiar chakra. He wondered the back allies until he found it. He was able to leap up to the door of large apartment without being seen. He hesitated before knocking. He stood back from the door. He knew the person he sought was home and not alone.  
  
Sakura nearly screamed when she saw Sasuke leaned back on the railing outside her door.  
  
“Sasuke?”  
  
“Yo.”  
  
“Is it really you?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“But it’s been ten years. What are you doing here?”  
  
“It’s been eleven years. Can I come in?”  
  
Sakura stepped away to let Sasuke enter her home. Sasuke and Lee saw each other and went stiff: Lee feeling like he might have a fight for love on his hands, Sasuke afraid he would attack.  
  
“I knew you didn’t marry Naruto since I didn’t feel you in the Hokage mansion, but . . .”  
  
“Hinata confessed her feelings for Naruto when she stepped up to defend him from Pein. During the rebuilding he started to reciprocate. Lee won my heart about the same time.”  
  
“I’m glad.”  
  
Lee gestured for Sasuke to sit. “I don’t mean to sound rude,” Lee said, “but what are you doing here?”  
  
Sasuke pulled his sword and sheath from his thin, black rope belt and sat.  
  
“I sent my sons to Konoha to become Konoha shinobi. Naruto refused and was about to arrest them. I gave them a scroll to summon me in case of emergencies. They use it and I used a summoning scroll to send them home. I just left Naruto. He thinks I was summoned back home too. I was curious to see and hear what has changed.”  
  
“So much had changed.”  
  
“I heard about Pein. He and Konan were the only ones I failed to kill before I left. At least that was the end of Akatsuki. But tell me, is Naruto bitter over Kakashi and I?”  
  
“Sometimes. No one wants to mention either of you. He’s not always like that. There’s so much that changed that there doesn’t seem to be much to say. What about you? You have children?”  
  
Sasuke smiled. “Three boys and a girl, Itachi, Izuna, Kiyoshi, and Mikoto.”  
  
“That girl, Karin?”  
  
“Yeah. She stopped being annoying as soon as she didn’t feel she had to hide that she loved me anymore. Juugo lives with us. A good thing with four kids, live in babysitter.”  
  
“Are you happy?”  
  
“Yes. Are you?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Good. If Naruto can get over me, all will be good. I want to give you this.” Sasuke gave Sakura a scroll. “If danger ever threatens the village again, a great danger, use this and we will come. It won’t summon us, but it will let us know we’re needed. The Uchiha will fight for Konoha.”  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
“If you never use it, give it to your children. My clan will always have a tie to Konoha. I don’t have a whole lot of time before Karin summons me home. I want to visit Kakashi’s grave.”  
  
“I’ll take you there.”  
  
“Lee, want to come along?”  
  
“No, I’m not a member of Team 7 or Team Kakashi. Go on.”  
  
“Goodbye, Lee. Take care of Sakura.”  
  
“I will.”  
  
Sasuke transformed into Lee to be able to walk the streets openly to the cemetery. Once alone in the cemetery, Sasuke let the disguise drop. The pair dropped to their knees and prayed at Kakashi’s grave. After a few minutes, Sasuke helped Sakura up.   
  
“Time’s up. Goodbye, Sakura.”  
  
“Goodbye, Sasuke. I’ll try to convince Naruto to forgive you so if you and your family come back, he’ll trust you.”  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
Sasuke vanished in a puff of smoke.  
  
\-----  
  
Sasuke reappeared in front of his wife on their back porch.  
  
“You alright?” she asked.  
  
“Fine.”  
  
“Turned on us, didn’t they?”  
  
“Naruto is just bitter about the way we left. I gave Sakura the scroll and offered my prayers at Kakashi’s grave.”  
  
“You told us ten minutes!” Kiyoshi accused.  
  
“That was for Naruto’s benefit. You’re mother knew what I intended if you summoned me there. Go see Juugo; he’ll be happy to see you’re back and safe.”  
  
The three boys did so. Sasuke sat down next to Karin who was still kneeling where she performed the summon.  
  
“Everything’s changed. They both married other people. I was surprised.”  
  
“Kiyoshi told me.”  
  
“I’m glad we left.”  
  
Sasuke’s attention was caught by movement in the trees. Karin wrinkled her nose and groaned. Suigetsu appeared.  
  
“Hey, Sasuke, I got a line on another sword.”  
  
“Skipping out on your village again? You’re welcome to the well.”  
  
Suigetsu went over to the well. “Sanctioned this time. Come on, Sasuke. Bring the brats, they could use the experience. You can leave the—”  
  
“You really want to insult my wife?”  
  
“Whatever.” He pulled up a large bucket.  
  
“Don’t drain it,” Karin yelled at him.  
  
Eight year old Mikoto came out of the house. “Uncle Kappa!”  
  
“Karin,” Suigetsu growled.  
  
Karin turned to Sasuke with a smile. “Leave me the twins and the rest of you can go. Just be back before Kakashi’s born.”


End file.
